Been looking to update my wardrobe.Been looking in to sitka but have mixed reveiws.All ready have a bunch of Winona and some other wool stuff.Wondering if the new stuff is as affective in keeping me warm and any other pros and cons.
I've tried the new stuff and I'll stick with the woool. Pants and shirt and a wind breaking jacket work for me to -10 if moving. If on stand I'll wear additional wool and a good pair of boots.
Wool......
overbo,
We are in the process of changing out all our old stuff too.... We are going the opposite direction. Have used Mossy Oak Breakup camo and man made materials with somewhat good success over the years. But now that we are trad hunting and ranges are much closer we are going all wool and Predator Fall Grey camo. I cannot believe the diff in the camo till my son and I hunted the same two trees a few times this year on both sunny and cloudy days. We were 30 yds apart and I could not believe how dark and unbroken the Mossy Oak was compared to the Predator. I have also heard how wool absorbs light versus man made stuff reflecting light.
Another reason I want wool is how well it breathes. I cannot believe how comfy it is when it is from 15 degrees all the way up to 50 degrees. As mentioned above, it is also QUIET at close range. I had bought my son a new Cabelas Revolution Fleece pullover and when we were on the same tree I could not get over how loud it was anytime he would brush up against the tree or his Summit Viper. JMHO
nocams :coffee:
I maybe a redneck but I like layers,good long jons,heavy fleece or light wool and then "Carharts",been keeping me warm in all but the most extreme weather conditions for 25+ years.
100,000 farmers and construction workers can't be wrong.
;)
I have some Sitka clothing, and am quite impressed with it's warm weather capacity to keep me cool, but haven't tried the cold gear yet. However, the two kids who started the company are both alpine climbers as well as hunters. I was told that they got tired of trying to find high-tech clothing for hunting and decided to make their own, combining the fabric technology of alpine mountaineering with the needs of hunting archers. The textiles major at University of CA, Davis(their alma mater)may well have provided them with help in researching the fabrics, since neither of them have backgrounds in textiles science. When you're climbing alpine it's not a good thing to get sweaty-you tend to freeze to death-and I have no doubt that the fabrics they've chosen will work well. I also like the stretch built into many of the garments, and it appears that when you're fully kitted out, you don't look like the Michelin tire guy! Next season, I'll be combining Sitka with some wool to get the best of both worlds. I know they both bowhunt, and like I said, my warm weather gear really surprised me with it's effectiveness!
i got a Filson Wool jacket when i got here to Colorado "best jacket i have ever had!!"
Layering it the Ticket!
I'm believing more and more with wool.
I hear good things about Sitka gear, but never personally seen or tried it. Just thinking out loud though I bet it is fine if you are moving, but would think it might not be warm enough for sitting in a stand in temps below 20 degrees for very long ? Again, just my opinion and again, I have not seen it or tried it in person. Maybe some of the Sitka users will be along shortly and tell me I am wrong ???
nocams
"Been looking to update my wardrobe."
I'm supposing that if one actually has a "wardrobe" then one needs to update it from time to time. On the other hand, I have a closet that contains myriad articles of tried and true clothing, most of which started its professional life with someone else.
There is nothing better than wool. Nothing. And if you get too close to the fire, it won't melt and stick to your skin either. I actually have a lot of wool and most of it is second hand; well, actually third hand since the sheep was the first owner. I guess I haven't considered an update to my closet stuff, because it works and is....well, closet stuff and not wardrobe items.
But I digress, and I must defer to those who really do have wardrobes and things that match.
Now I'm off to Goodwill....it's half-price day on hanging items. :thumbsup: ;) :rolleyes: :thumbsup:
I to am a self proclaim REDKNECK an I LOVE carhart it is tough! wind proof sticker an burr proof as well. Iam from Maryland and it dosent get crazy cold here.its quite as well as good in comfort.
I'll agree with George....Been trying for years all the new technologies out there for the last severals years and found that a great pair of high tech thermals,layering and wool on the outside seems to be the best.
I prefer the wool on the outside (Sleeping Indian) because it is extremely quiet and does a better job blending into the envoironment.
Just MHO..
God Bless, Pierre
Jimmy, I think you might just be correct in that assumption. I'm a spot and stalk guy, and never considered it on stand. It's definitely designed for movement.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0033658&navCount=1&parentId=cat470090&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat470076-cat470090&parentType =index&indexId=cat470090&rid= (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0033658&navCount=1&parentId=cat470090&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat470076-cat470090&parentType=index&indexId=cat470090&rid=)
Browning Hydro Fleece is some good stuff.
I bought some new stuff back in November.
Wool.
I want to get a GOOD set of wool bibs, camo or not, dont matter. Was excited to hear that Gray Wolf would be at K'Zoo and I could check it out "hands on". If GW wool is 27oz. and Filson is 24oz. why is the Filson thicker and heavier?
Eric
Westbrook, I am sure smarter folks that know wool better than I do will be along shortly. But from what I was told it is how tight the weave is. Tighter weave equals thinner, looser weave is thicker and lofts more. Tighter weave helps defeat the wind. I don't care cause any wool I buy from now on will have a liner in it.
ncoams :coffee:
I live in MN where it gets downright ugly cold. About 17 years ago I got a deal on a King of the Mountain jacket and another deal on Sleeping Indian pants. I have worn that one set of hunting clothes on every spring turkey hunt, Mule deer/elk in Colorado, Antelope in SD and everytime I go into the woods all fall for white tail deer. The best part is the fit, it's not bulky and very fitted for bowhunting. I know these brands are not cheap but I haven't bought another set in 17 years, I just haven't found anything better and until I do I suspect this is the last set I will ever buy. By the way after all that time they still look like the day I bought them.
I have a load of Sitka Gear and am really liking it. The other day were were lion hunting at about 2 degrees...riding 4 wheeler at 10-15 mph.... I had layered Sitka Gear under the Nimbus windproof jacket and stayed cozy... My toes were another story!!!
I LOVE wool and about any kind of fleece...agree with George though on the wool not melting... VERY nice feature...
Most my winter pants are surplus wool...7-20$ a pair...
E
I have to make a correction, it wasn't 17 years ago it was 11 years ago when I purchased my wool. Fuzzy math.
I haven't found anything better than wool. It's the only clothing I wear when the temps drop.
WOOOOOOL!!! There is no better for cold weather!
stoney creek gear. that's what us aussies & kiwis wear. the best.
I ve got a set of KOM had it since early 90's. Don't wear anything else when it gets cold, works great.
Mostly with George on this, as I have tried the high end stuff and the low, my outer gear is a mismash of varing brands and camo/plaid. It might go without saying but I have friends that will wear brand name wool that they got a "deal" on, but is way too small. Fit of anything trumps the brand name and I laugh when I see them struggle to move in their "wardrobe". That said I would highly recommend Ullfrotte under wear, top and bottom. I would guess that Smartwool and other top quality wool longies are right there. I have tried most of the wiz-bang synthetics and for me it isn't even close. Ulfrotte out performs in ALL conditions. From top to bottom on any given cold(10 farenhight or below) Carhart knit cap with Smartwool skull under. Ulfrotte 200,Pendelton shirt, Grey wolf fleece hoodie, then Grey wolf white and brown plaid vest w/liner.Bottom, Ulfrotte 200 longies, light German military wool pants(loose fit) Cabelas wooltimate(with liner) Smartwool liner sox and either Smartwool or Filson wool sox and boots vary wildly depening on how mobile I plan on being. Last but not leest, I always have my old green army wool scarf with me from early season to the end of spring turkey hunting. A warm neck when you are sitting cures many ills.
stripe,
We bit the bullet this year and ditched the military polypro underwear and bought full sets of 400gr Ullfrotte' wool underwear. Worth every penny and NO comparison when it is cold. Still can wear the cheaper, ( $40 a set polypro ), when it is chilly, not blue cold. Once it gets blue cold no substitute for wool. If you get the baselayer right you are much better off no matter what you decide for the outer layers. JMHO
nocams :coffee:
I threw all the poly-stuff away a few years back, particularly after reading Paul Brunner's excape from death in a burning tent. That fixed it totally for me owning the stuff. It's plastic and melts, and that ain't good 8^(.
The base layers are extremely important. I use Wooleys..100% wool next to the skin. I've had these for at least ten years and probably more.
They feel warm even as you put them on. Layering is the key to keeping warm, and don't neglect the midrift area; that's a place that you can lose heat quickly, just like the extremeties. When it's particularly cold, I keep my fleece fanny pack wrapped around my midsection and it's like having a little heater on your body.
I purchased the wooltimate jacket from cabelas. Have been very impressed with it thus far. It cuts the wind well,and is comfortable to shoot in. I was comfortable at 15 degrees with 30 mph winds during January with only a light fleece pullover underneath. Only negative is it does pick up burrs something terrible.
This is an area that I have been struggling with and refining over a period of many years.
The majority of my hunting is mountain hunting and I am always going up fairly steep stuff to arrive at stands that I will be spending a number of hours at.So the heavy Wool or the heavy lined bibs and parka's don't work for me.If I wear them from the time I start out I will be drenched with perspiration in short order.Also I don't want to carry the weight of those type of garments.
So the solution for me has been pretty much to always have a pack on my back and to have layers of light but more clothing that I can make adjustments with.I have 200 weight Ulfrotte/wool power bottoms and tops that I will wear with a thin unlined wolf skin pants or supplex nylon pants,same for my upper body with the ulfrotte,I will have wolfskin jacket or thin windproof fleece.Once I get to where I will be on stand when it is really cold I will put on one or two more layers of wool long under shirts,ulfrotte,smartwool,minus 33,possibly a patagonia micro puff vest or micro puff pullover,or in the really cold an integral designs dolimitti jacket or patagonia Das jacket.The final layer will always be unlined wolfskin or thin wind proof fleece.I will put a second pair of long under wear on and patagonia micro puff pants with wolfskin unlined pants or windproof fleece as the final layer.
I will have an extra pair of dry socks to put on ands I will have handwarmers and feet warmers to use as well,if it is brutally cold I will have Ice Breaker boot blankets with me.I also have multiple wool hats,Baclava,neck gator etc.
This may sound like a lot but it really is not from a carrying weight perspective.No more weight than heavy weight wool bibs and parka,I believe considerably less and a lot more flexibility in various temperature ranges.
Things that are on my short list of possible future purchases are a Helly Hansen Fibre Pile Union suit.Those things look seriously warm!I may also purchase a light weight synthetic 0 degree sleeping bag to crawl in to versus a much heavier and one dimensional Heater Body Suit.
I don't have it licked yet but I believe I am getting close.
Day one wool is hard o beat
I'M A LIGHT AND FAST TYPE OF GUY.NEW SENTHETICS ARE AMAZING.GOOD LAYLERS ARE BEST. GOOD WICKING BASE, FLEECE MIDLAYER GORETEX OUTER YOU CANT BEAT.I WILL BE AT 10,000 FEET THIS WEEKEND IN A BLIZZARD AND BE FEELING WARM AND DRY.BUT WOOL YOU WILL NEVER DIE. HAVE BOTH THEY BOTH HAVE THIER PLACE.